Busch brothers on front row for NRA 500 NASCAR Cup race at Texas

By
Steven Cole Smith

Apr 11, 2013

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Kyle Busch eased his brother Kurt off the pole for the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a track record-setting performance in qualifying late Friday afternoon. Kyle ran a lap of 27.509 seconds at 196.299 mph, erasing the track record held by Brian Vickers with a speed of 196.235 mph. Few thought in advance that the new Gen 6 car had that kind of speed, but the stopwatch doesn't lie. He was the only car to eclipse 196 mph.

"It felt that good," Kyle Busch said. "Sometimes you feel that good and it's not very fast. I'll tell you what, these guys here and this whole JGR team, everybody back at the shop, all the guys and girls that work so hard there to give us really great race cars to

come to the race track with.

"We didn't unload the best, but Dave [Rogers, crew chief] and the guys -- they really used the whole tool box today and worked really hard getting us a good piece for the race and for qualifying. This Interstate Batteries Camry is flying -- I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."

"I was real happy with the way the car unloaded off the truck,” Kurt Busch said. “For us to be second, outside pole, is a great achievement for us. I think we found some things that will translate to all the mile-and-a-half tracks this year.”

Third is Aric Almirola, who went out fifth in the 45-car slot in his No. 43 Ford, and was the driver to chase for most of qualifying. Even so, “We practiced in the heat of the day,” Almirola said, plus there will be 200 laps' worth of rubber from the Nationwide race, so tomorrow night's Cup race may not directly reflect the qualifying times.

The setting sun made speeds pick up -- Kyle Busch went out 42nd, and Kurt went out 37th. It will be the second time the Busch brothers start on the front row -- the first time was in 2009 at their home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Marcos Ambrose will start fourth, and Martin Truex, Jr., rounds out the top five. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will start sixth, one spot ahead of teammate Jimmie Johnson, who starts just ahead of teammate Jeff Gordon. Rookies Danica Patrick starts 42nd -- only three cars were slower -- and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., 17th. The top 10 qualifiers were two Toyotas, five Chevrolets and three Fords.

Going home early: Scott Speed and Scott Riggs.

NASCAR Cup qualifying

After Friday qualifying; race Saturday

At Texas Motor Speedway

Fort Worth, Texas

Lap length: 1.5 miles

(Car number in parentheses)

1. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 196.299 mph.

2. (78) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 195.688.

3. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, 195.009.

4. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 194.946.

5. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 194.77.

6. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 194.532.

7. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 194.503.

8. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 194.168.

9. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 194.147.

10. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 194.007.

11. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 193.819.

12. (51) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 193.764.

13. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 193.632.

14. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 193.451.

15. (11) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 193.444.

16. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 193.431.

17. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 193.195.

18. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 192.885.

19. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 192.781.

20. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 192.761.

21. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 192.761.

22. (21) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 192.754.

23. (55) Mark Martin, Toyota, 192.644.

24. (13) Casey Mears, Ford, 192.596.

25. (34) David Ragan, Ford, 192.555.

26. (15) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 192.267.

27. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, 192.102.

28. (7) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 191.891.

29. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 191.734.

30. (47) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 191.571.

31. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 191.557.

32. (93) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 191.279.

33. (30) David Stremme, Toyota, 191.144.

34. (19) Mike Bliss, Toyota, 190.927.

35. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 190.921.

36. (36) J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet, 190.705.

37. (98) Michael McDowell, Ford, Owner Points.

38. (83) David Reutimann, Toyota, Owner Points.

39. (33) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

40. (35) Josh Wise, Ford, Owner Points.

41. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Owner Points.

42. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

43. (32) Timmy Hill, Ford, Owner Points.

Failed to Qualify

44. (95) Scott Speed, Ford, 187.617.

45. (44) Scott Riggs, Ford, 186.149.

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